Silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis)

Scientific name: Merluccius bilinearis Mitchill, 1814

Silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis)

The Silver hake (Merluccius bilinearis) is a marine fish of the family Merlucciidae. Native range: Northwest Atlantic, coast of Canada and USA from Bell Isle Channel to the Bahamas; most common from southern Newfoundland to South Carolina.

Biology

Abundant on sandy grounds and strays into shallower waters. A voracious predator with cannibalistic habits. Individuals over 40 cm TL prey on fishes such as gadoids and herring, while smaller ones feed on crustaceans, i.e. euphausiids and pandalids; food also includes gaspereau, myctophids, smelt, silversides, mackerel, sand lance, butterfish, snakeblennies, longhorn sculpins and squids. The smallest specimen feeds mostly on crustaceans. Exhibits seasonal onshore-offshore migration. Spawning takes place from June-July in the mid-Atlantic region; July-August in the Gulf of Maine and to the north of Georges Bank, and August-September on the Scotian Shelf. Marketed fresh, smoked and frozen; fresh fish are exported to European markets; eaten fried, broiled, microwaved and baked.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Merluccius bilinearis
Family
Merlucciidae (Merluccid hakes)
Order
Gadiformes (Cods)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
76.0
Common length
65
Depth range
55–914 m (180–2999 ft)
Environment
Marine; demersal; oceanodromous; depth range 55 - 914 m
Climate
Temperate
Distribution
Northwest Atlantic: coast of Canada and USA from Bell Isle Channel to the Bahamas; most common from southern Newfoundland to South Carolina.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: highly commercial
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.18-0.4;tm=2-3; tmax=12)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated